Box



E. C. MULNIX BOX Original Filed Dec. 12, 1936 3/. W Z U E x ,6 a ,1 R v u w W J J K 2 M 7 17d e w WW WW Z a 1 w w Patented R5927, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application December 12, 1936, Serial No. 115,551. Divided and this application April 1.19%, Serial No. 199,416

2 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in boxes made of flexible material such as boxboard, paper or the like comprising two box members swingingly connected together by a common wall so 6 as to fold to cause one of said members to fit over the other, the primary object of the present invention being to so construct and arrange said parts as to cause snug and firm interfitting of the box parts, the present invention being, a di- 10 vision of my co-pending application filed December 12, 1936, Serial No. 115,551, Patent No. 2,115,782, May 3, 1938. 1

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved box of the character indi- 15 cated so constructed and arranged as to prevent tearing of the parts in closing the box.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

, The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 a plan view of the blank from which the box is formed;

Fig. 3 a detail end view showing the parts of the box in an intermediate stage of closing; and

' Fig. 4 a similar view showing the box fully closed.

The embodiment of the. invention illustrated in the drawing comprises an integral blank made of boxboard, paper or the like having one interior portion I'll set on by scoring or creases as shown to constitute the top or cover portion of an outer box member. The top portion I0 is connected as indicated with a corresponding bottom portion II by a common wall member l2'which serves as 40 a swinging connection between the outer and inner box members. The top portion Ill is provided with side walls [3 connected by triangular flaps l4 and I5 with the end wall Hi. In assembling the box, the side walls l3 are first folded inwardly onto the top portion I0 and the end wall It, The end wall I6 is provided with a securing flap I'I,which is folded inwardly onto the flap l5 and secured to the wall l6 by means of the usual central staple. The securing flap ll thus constitutes an ordinary or well known securing flap cooperating with corner flaps I4 and I5 for securing that end of the outer box member in distended form, as wur be readily understood.

5 The end wall It is provided with a transverse slot l8 having downwardly and outwardly diverging ends IQ for a purpose to be presently described.

The bottom member I I is provided with side walls 20 connected by triangular foldable flaps Y 2!, 22 and 23 with the ends of the side walls l3, 6 as best shown in Fig. 2. As shown, each flap 23 extends upwardly from the bottom about half the height of the wall I3 for a purpose to be presently described. The adjacent corners of the side walls I3 are formed into locking tongues 25 by means of notches 26 and 21, said locking tongues 25 are arranged to be inserted in the diagonal or inclined slits 24 in the end walls 20 when the triangular flaps 2|, 22 and 23 are properly folded inwardly for the purpose thereby serving to secure this edge of each of the side walls l3 in place when the box is formed as indicated in Fig. 1. The notch 21 at the base of each of the tongues 25 is made sufliciently deep so as to avoid any contact between the tongues and the ends .of the slits during the folding operation as indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, thereby avoiding all danger of tearing the material of the box at these points.

The walls 20 are connected, as best indicated in Fig. -2, with the ends of the end wall 30 for the inner box member by folding the flaps 28 and 29 which serve the same function here as the flaps l4 and I5 but are cut off at their outer corners to facilitate the more complicated folding manipulation. 30

A handle flap 3| is formed at the top of the wall 30, the sides of said flap being freed from said wall as indicated. The inner central portion 32 of the flap 3i and the outer central portion 33 of the wall 30 are scored as indicated so that 35 they may be doubled upon each other to form a handle member as shown. Securing fiaps 34 are provided as shown at the outside top edges of the end wall 30 being folded inwardly and secured thereto by means of suitable wire stitches so as to cooperate with the flaps 28 and 29 in making up this portion of the inner box member,

as will be readily understood. After the desired contents have been inserted in the box thus formed, the outer member is folded over the inner member with the handle portion 3| 32 protruding through the slot l8-l9, and the securing tongues 25 inserted in the slits 24, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, thus completing the box and providing a suitable reinforced handle for carrying the same. By this arrangement a handled box is provided in which the handle is an integral part and parcel of the end wall; and inwhich a snug and tight fit is obtained between the inner corners and edges of the box members without danger of tearing or injuring the parts. This desirable fit is obtained by virtue of the fact that the tongues 25 fit loosely in the slits 24 without any contact whatever between the edges of the tongues and the ends of the slits and the inner edges of the side walls of the inner member engageand rub against the folds 36 between the inner edges of the side walls of the outer member and the corresponding flaps 23 to draw and hold said parts in place by a sort of cam action as best indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The entry of the edges 35 of walls 20 into the folds between walls l3 and flaps 23 is permitted by terminating the flaps 23 below the tops of walls l3.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of constructionvfor carrying the invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not Wish to be limited to the precise details disclosed, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. A box comprising an outer and inner box member swingingly connected to each other by a common wall to fold to' cause said outer member to fit over said inner member, the side walls of said members being provided with triangular flaps connected with opposite sides of -a triangular 'fiap on the corresponding end of said common wall to fold inwardly the connecting flaps on the outer side walls terminating below the tops of said outer side walls and the inner comers of the side walls of the outer member being formed into locking tongues, there being slits in the inner portions of the side walls of said inner member to receive said tongues, and the inner edges of the side walls of said inner member being arranged to engage within and rub against the folds between the inner edges of the side walls of the outer member and the corresponding connecting flaps to draw and hold said parts in place.

2. A box comprising an outer and inner box member swingingly connected to each other by a common wall to fold to cause said outer, member to fit over said inner member, the side walls of said members being provided with triangular flaps connected with opposite sides of a triangular flap on the corresponding end of said common wall to fold inwardly the connecting flaps on the outer side walls terminating below the tops of M said outer side walls and the inner corners of the side walls of the outer member being formed into locking tongues, there being inclined slits in the inner portions of the side walls of said inner member to receive said tongues loosely, and the inner edges of the side walls of said inner member being arranged to engage within and rub against the folds between the inner edges of the side walls of the outer member and the corresponding connecting flaps to draw and hold said parts in place.

ERSEL C. MULNIX. 

